War is still not the answer

Erudite Partner reflects on the wars of our times in the LA Progressive: 

The Hamster Wheel of War

...  On October 7, 2023, as the world watched in horror, the military wing of Hamas launched a surprise attack from Gaza, murdering about 1,200 people, most of them Israelis, most of them civilians, significant numbers of them children. They kidnapped as many as 240 others, a few of whom have since died and a few of whom have been released. I must admit that I’m glad my father, raised as an Orthodox Jew in this country, didn’t live to see that day.

Like the U.S. in 2001, Israel has now launched its war of reprisal. The announced goal is the complete destruction of Hamas, which, whether achievable or not, now seems to entail the destruction of much of Gaza itself. ...

Read it all here. 

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When I went hunting in my archives for a suitable graphic to accompany this post, I found this:

Dating from the late '00s, those are Israelis demonstrating in Tel-Aviv. Before Intifadas, before the Great March of Return, before a decade of "mowing the lawn" bombings of the people of Gaza, Israelis and  Palestinians -- the whole world -- knew the true answer to ending the carnage. We still do. To end violence, people must have food, shelter, dignity, and freedom. Or at least the hope of these necessities of life. Bombs offer none of this.